2009 ESU Football Schedule

EAST STROUDSBURG - The East Stroudsburg University football program, coming off a 9-2 record during the 2008 season, will hold its annual spring football game on Saturday at 6 p.m.

The Warriors will be looking for their 35 returning letterwinners to step up to replace the loss of 16 seniors, all of whom saw action as starters last year, as they complete their 15-session spring practice schedule under the lights on the Eiler-Martin Stadium turf.

Redshirt junior outside linebacker Matt Freed, a first team Daktronics Division II All-American and third team Associated Press Little All-American, is the only returning starting linebacker on a defense that brings back five starters. Freed finished tied for fifth in Division II with 11.5 tackles per game and had 126 tackles, 11.0 tackles for a loss, four sacks and four interceptions last season.

Rising seniors Matthew Faas (defensive end) and Nicholas Artinger (safety) and juniors Jeff Case (defensive end) and David Castillo (cornerback) join Freed as returning starters on the defense. They are among 20 returning letterwinners that will look to make an impact for the Warriors on the defensive side of the ball in 2009.

The starters lost on defense include All-PSAC East selection Miguel Rivera and Jeff Shrive at tackle, David Pacchioni, Fred Rice and Steve Van Alstine at linebacker and Cactus Bowl-invitee Lionel Mitchell at cornerback.

The offense was also hard-hit by graduation, with just four returning starters in wide receivers Jeff Giglio and Sam Shuman and offensive linemen Dan Caffrey and Morgan Thomas. Giglio (41 catches, 749 yards) led the Warriors with 10 touchdown catches and Shuman (39 catches, 627 yards, 3 TDs) was All-PSAC East as a sophomore in 2007. Thomas was an all-conference selection last season and has made 30 career starts to lead a young offensive line.

Quarterback Tim Roken and tailback Joe Partridge, along with the left side of the offensive line in tackle Ryan Ehrie and All-Region guard Keith Weaver, all must be replaced by head coach Denny Douds and offensive coordinator Mike Terwilliger. Douds set the PSAC record for career wins during the 9-2 campaign last season and will take a 218-142-3 record into his 36th season on the sidelines for the Warriors.

Roken threw for 2,168 yards and 17 touchdowns in nine games, while redshirt junior quarterback Matt Marshall stepped in to play in four games and completed 57.5 percent of his passes for 937 yards and nine TDs while posting a quarterback rating of 168.3. Redshirt sophomore Ray Wagner and redshirt junior Steve Malinchak will also see time at quarterback in the spring game.

The special teams will be without the services of Nick Krut, a consensus first team All-American who graduated in December with ESU records for season (46.0) and career (42.4) punting average. Senior Greg Knauss returns as the Warriors' kicker and has made 25 field goals in the last two years, including a school-record 53-yarder as a sophomore when he was first team All-PSAC East.

The 2009 Warriors will open the season on the road on Thursday, August 27 at 6 p.m. at Virginia Union and play five of their first six games away from ESU. The home opener is Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. vs. Clarion, and the Warriors will also host Bloomsburg (Oct. 10, 3 p.m.), C.W. Post (Oct. 24, 1 p.m.), Millersville (Oct. 31, 1 p.m.) and Slippery Rock (Nov. 7, 1 p.m.) as part of their five-game schedule at Eiler-Martin Stadium.